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TONGUE
DIAGNOSIS
Tongue diagnosis
dates to the Shang Dynasty which began c.1600 B.C. and ended c.1000.
Throughout the time since it has evolved into a very important tool of
diagnosis.
The tongue is
considered to be an exterior part of the body because it's in almost contact
with the air - the exterior. This is certainly different from the American
view but extremely productive. An acupuncturist or herbalist will, in the
mind’s eye, overlay a tongue with several different maps. Each map is shaped
by the diagnostic model or system which it represents.
The diagram on
the left represents the internal organs. The center diagram represents the
body as having three parts - upper burner, middle burner, and lower burner.
The diagram on the right represents the body as having two parts - interior
and exterior.
The practitioner
examines the general and local shape, and the color of both the tongue body
and coat. A healthy tongue will be pink (like a kitten or puppy’s tongue)
and moist with a thin clear or white coat. Thin is defined as a coat through
which the tongue body can be seen. Some signs of imbalance or pathology are
red body, yellow coat, thick coat like mozzarella cheese, very dry body or
cracks in the coat or body itself.
Interview |
Listening
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Pulse |
Smelling |
Visual |
